As shown in FIG. 1, a ribbon cartridge 1′ adopted in an existing thermal transfer printer includes a supply cylinder 31′, a winding cylinder 32′, and a printing head accommodating member 33′ located between the supply cylinder 31′ and the winding cylinder 32′, which are rigidly connected. A supply spool (not shown) configured to support an unused ribbon is disposed within the supply cylinder 31′, a winding spool (not shown) configured to support and wind the used ribbon is disposed within the winding cylinder 32′, and both the supply spool and the winding spool are freely rotatable about their own axes. A driving hole (not shown) is provided at an end of the winding cylinder 32′ and is configured to match with a driving shaft 102′ in a plugging manner on a frame 101′ of the printer 100′. Thus, a ribbon 10′ may lead out from an opening of the supply cylinder 31′, extend through the printing head accommodating member 33′, enter into the winding cylinder 32′ via an opening 35′ thereof and be wound on the winding spool.
The frame 101′ includes a cartridge installing member 130′, which has a cross-section of a shape matching with the shape of the cross-section of the ribbon cartridge 1′. A locking assembly 137′ is disposed on a side wall of the frame 101′ and is configured to prevent release of the ribbon cartridge 1′ installed in the printer 100′. The locking assembly 137′ includes a body 137a, an elastic slice 137b and an operating slice 137c which are formed integrally with the body 137a, and a locking hook 137d. To install the ribbon cartridge 1′, the ribbon cartridge 1′ is inserted into the cartridge installing member 130′ via an installing hole 133′ on a side of the printer 100′, the driving hole of the ribbon cartridge 1′ matches with the driving shaft 102′ on the printer 100′ in a plugging manner, and the locking hook 137d of the locking assembly 137′ locks a side wall 26′ of the ribbon cartridge 1′; subsequently, a printing head assembly 110′ is rotated and closed with respect to the frame 101′ so that a printing head of the printing head assembly 110′ is tangent to and cooperates with a platen 120′, in this way, the printing head is located within the printing head accommodating member 33′ and in contact with the ribbon 10′.
The above-described thermal transfer printer 100′ and the ribbon cartridge 1′ used therein are defective in that: the supply cylinder 31′ and the winding cylinder 32′ of the ribbon cartridge 1′ are linearly connected rigidly, and the printing head is located within the printing head accommodating member 33′ between the supply cylinder 31′ and the winding cylinder 32′ when the ribbon cartridge 1′ is installed in the printer, that is, the supply cylinder 31′ of the ribbon cartridge 1′, the printing head, and the winding cylinder 32′ of the ribbon cartridge 1′ are linearly arranged in sequence, thereby increasing the distance between front and rear sides of the printer, so that the space on a top surface of a desk occupied by the printer is increased, and a demand for the miniaturization of the printer cannot be met.